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Awareness and Consciousness

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Does consciousness have to be aware of itself and other self?

To what end?

In order to be itself? No. Evidence of this abounds.

And what is this 'other' self you speak of? Are you meaning the ego self?
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
Does consciousness have to be aware of itself and other self?

The focus in Vedanta is on self-awareness, rather than being habitually conscious of external objects and people for the sake of sensory stimulation. You can see from experience that the latter is easy while the former is relatively harder.

Nisargadatta Maharaj have elucidated below on the relation between awareness and consciousness....

'Awareness is primordial; it is the original state, beginning-less, endless, uncaused, unsupported, without parts, without change. Consciousness is on contact, a reflection against a surface, a state of duality. There can be no consciousness without awareness, but there can be awareness without consciousness.'
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Does consciousness have to be aware of itself and other self?
You need to clarify your question as other members have suggested. IMHO, one has to bring his attention to a particular subject to be aware of it. One has to have focus. One cannot be aware/conscious of anything without bringing it to one's focus.

images
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
To what end?

In order to be itself? No. Evidence of this abounds.
understood



And what is this 'other' self you speak of? Are you meaning the ego self?

self as in the ego in relation to another ego, or even to its host. for instance a parasite can be somewhat aware of some the host's aspects but not necessarily fully aware of the host.


Virus Intelligence: Are Viruses Alive & Sentient? | Jon Lieff M.D.


as if a limited ego is aware of some other limited ego but unaware of the infinite from which both were drawn
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
The focus in Vedanta is on self-awareness, rather than being habitually conscious of external objects and people for the sake of sensory stimulation. You can see from experience that the latter is easy while the former is relatively harder.

Nisargadatta Maharaj have elucidated below on the relation between awareness and consciousness....

'Awareness is primordial; it is the original state, beginning-less, endless, uncaused, unsupported, without parts, without change. Consciousness is on contact, a reflection against a surface, a state of duality. There can be no consciousness without awareness, but there can be awareness without consciousness.'

i believe this is why western religions have a lapse in its morality. they do not recognize the shadow of their own psyche
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
You need to clarify your question as other members have suggested. IMHO, one has to bring his attention to a particular subject to be aware of it. One has to have focus. One cannot be aware/conscious of anything without bringing it to one's focus.

images


consciousness flows both ways, both evolving(outward) and involving(inward). what seems prevalent is mostly extrospective vs introspective
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
i believe this is why western religions have a lapse in its morality. they do not recognize the shadow of their own psyche

The same truths are present in western religions as well...

I have stated the same in this post of mine.

There are many so-called Hindus as well, who are not able to even intellectually recognize these truths while there are western enlightened masters like Eckhart Tolle, Gary Weber, Metta Zetty, Jed Mckenna, Madhukar, Adyashanti, Mooji, Jeff Foster, Jean Klein, Jan Frazier, Francis Lucille, Rupert Spira who are embodiments of truth themselves.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
The experiencer exists regardless of the experience.

Some might say that the environment is acting on itself to produce consciousness. So the outside world produces inner consciousness. I disagree.

Whether you are aware of anything at all or not, you are still there.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Does consciousness have to be aware of itself and other self?

I don't believe consciousness is self aware. Consciousness is aware of a construct that it accepts as the self which it is aware of.

You are aware of yourself as something, your name tag, your physical appearance, your relationship in a family, your job position, teacher, lawyer etc...

I see the self as the brain or more appropriately the central nervous system. Who's aware of themselves as a CNS walking around in a meat suit?
 

Thief

Rogue Theologian
Does consciousness have to be aware of itself and other self?
no

we can see it in animals
they are conscious when up and moving
but show them a mirror

the inability to realize....it's a reflection
displays the lack of self awareness

but maybe we overlook the sign
that moment when the animal stops moving
and looks around in all directions
as if to contemplate
 
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